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      Asking for Help and the FAQ
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      <h4>
        Beyond Linux<sup>�</sup> From Scratch <span class="phrase">(System
        V</span> Edition) - Version 9.1
      </h4>
      <h3>
        Chapter&nbsp;1.&nbsp;Welcome to BLFS
      </h3>
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          <a accesskey="p" href="wiki.html" title="BLFS Wiki">Prev</a>
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            BLFS Wiki
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            Credits
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    <div class="sect1" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
      <h1 class="sect1">
        <a id="askhelp" name="askhelp"></a>Asking for Help and the FAQ
      </h1>
      <p>
        If you encounter a problem while using this book, and your problem is
        not listed in the FAQ (<a class="ulink" href=
        "http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/faq">http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/faq</a>),
        you will find that most of the people on Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
        and on the mailing lists are willing to help you. An overview of the
        LFS mailing lists can be found in <a class="xref" href=
        "maillists.html" title="Mailing Lists">Mailing lists</a>. To assist
        us in diagnosing and solving your problem, include as much relevant
        information as possible in your request for help.
      </p>
      <div class="sect2" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
        <h2 class="sect2">
          Things to Check Prior to Asking
        </h2>
        <p>
          Before asking for help, you should review the following items:
        </p>
        <div class="itemizedlist">
          <ul>
            <li class="listitem">
              <p>
                Is the hardware support compiled into the kernel or available
                as a module to the kernel? If it is a module, is it
                configured properly in <code class=
                "filename">modprobe.conf</code> and has it been loaded? You
                should use <span class=
                "command"><strong>lsmod</strong></span> as the <code class=
                "systemitem">root</code> user to see if it's loaded. Check
                the <code class="filename">sys.log</code> file or run
                <span class="command"><strong>modprobe <em class=
                "replaceable"><code>&lt;driver&gt;</code></em></strong></span>
                to review any error message. If it loads properly, you may
                need to add the <span class=
                "command"><strong>modprobe</strong></span> command to your
                boot scripts.
              </p>
            </li>
            <li class="listitem">
              <p>
                Are your permissions properly set, especially for devices?
                LFS uses groups to make these settings easier, but it also
                adds the step of adding users to groups to allow access. A
                simple <span class="command"><strong>usermod -G audio
                <em class=
                "replaceable"><code>&lt;user&gt;</code></em></strong></span>
                may be all that's necessary for that user to have access to
                the sound system. Any question that starts out with
                <span class="quote">&ldquo;<span class="quote">It works as
                root, but not as ...</span>&rdquo;</span> requires a thorough
                review of permissions prior to asking.
              </p>
            </li>
            <li class="listitem">
              <p>
                BLFS liberally uses <code class="filename">/opt/<em class=
                "replaceable"><code>&lt;package&gt;</code></em></code>. The
                main objection to this centers around the need to expand your
                environment variables for each package placed there (e.g.,
                PATH=$PATH:/opt/kde/bin). In most cases, the package
                instructions will walk you through the changes, but some will
                not. The section called <span class=
                "quote">&ldquo;<span class="quote"><a class="xref" href=
                "beyond.html" title="Going Beyond BLFS">Going Beyond
                BLFS</a></span>&rdquo;</span> is available to help you check.
              </p>
            </li>
          </ul>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="sect2" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
        <h2 class="sect2">
          Things to Mention
        </h2>
        <p>
          Apart from a brief explanation of the problem you're having, the
          essential things to include in your request are:
        </p>
        <div class="itemizedlist">
          <ul>
            <li class="listitem">
              <p>
                the version of the book you are using (being 9.1),
              </p>
            </li>
            <li class="listitem">
              <p>
                the package or section giving you problems,
              </p>
            </li>
            <li class="listitem">
              <p>
                the exact error message or symptom you are receiving,
              </p>
            </li>
            <li class="listitem">
              <p>
                whether you have deviated from the book or LFS at all,
              </p>
            </li>
            <li class="listitem">
              <p>
                if you are installing a BLFS package on a non-LFS system.
              </p>
            </li>
          </ul>
        </div>
        <p>
          (Note that saying that you've deviated from the book doesn't mean
          that we won't help you. It'll just help us to see other possible
          causes of your problem.)
        </p>
        <p>
          Expect guidance instead of specific instructions. If you are
          instructed to read something, please do so. It generally implies
          that the answer was way too obvious and that the question would not
          have been asked if a little research was done prior to asking. The
          volunteers in the mailing list prefer not to be used as an
          alternative to doing reasonable research on your end. In addition,
          the quality of your experience with BLFS is also greatly enhanced
          by this research, and the quality of volunteers is enhanced because
          they don't feel that their time has been abused, so they are far
          more likely to participate.
        </p>
        <p>
          An excellent article on asking for help on the Internet in general
          has been written by Eric S. Raymond. It is available online at
          <a class="ulink" href=
          "http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html">http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html</a>.
          Read and follow the hints in that document and you are much more
          likely to get a response to start with and also to get the help you
          actually need.
        </p>
      </div>
      <p class="updated">
        Last updated on 2009-09-24 22:43:37 -0700
      </p>
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            Credits
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